This invention relates generally to a device for and method of dispensing pourable material from one or more pouches, each pouch having one or more acute or right-angled corners that can be removed to form a dispensing spout.
A simple and economical means of packaging pourable discrete solid particles, a liquid, or mixture thereof is to seal such materials between two flexible sheets to form what is known as a pillow or flat pack pouch. This type of pouch is easy to fill, provides a flat surface area for printing, and can be readily packaged in a box or other rigid container for added protection and shipping.
Although flat pack pouches are widely used in the construction industry to pack cement, sand, and pre-mixed concrete, and in the food industry to pack sugar, flour, bulk soup, and condiments, other consumer products such as lotions, sanitizers, and paints are not sold in flat pack pouches because the availability of economical or universal dispensers adapted for use with such pouches is limited. Indeed, many consumer products are commonly sold in bottles with pump dispensers while other previously described dispensers are compatible only with those pouches that have been modified by the addition of fitments, integrated spouts, or other sealing mechanisms. Such modifications increase the cost of packaging and limit how the dispensers and pouches can be used. Thus, it would be advantageous to provide an economical and user-friendly dispensing system that can be used in the home or in an industrial or commercial setting to dispense a variety of pourable materials directly from unmodified flat pack pouches.